Leon Botstein

Bard College is a vital part of my small town, Red Hook, NY. This institution adds so much culture and diversity to our community. With this pandemic raging on, I really miss the energy and spirit all the students bring here. Here’s a portrait of the school president, Leon Botstein. He’s also the principal conductor of the American Philharmonic Orchestra.

Thanks for visiting. You can view more of my map portraits here, on my website.

Hispanic Hudson Valley

Here's a recent piece for an article about the burgeoning Hispanic community in the Hudson Valley. Many of these residents are immigrants who are limited by their native tongue. But even with the language barrier, most in this community believe strongly in the American dream. To help them navigate through our culture, Bard College started publishing  La Voz Magazine. This Spanish language publication helps families find resources such as affordable healthcare, housing and ESL classes. You can read this cover story in the Winter issue of About Town magazine.

Below are some sketches for this piece...

Thanks for visiting, and hasta la vista, my friends.

Bard Fisher Center

On August 29th,  I sat under a tree on the Bard College campus, and started this drawing. It depicts the Richard B. Fisher Center for Performing Arts, a building designed by Frank Gehry.  I  drew this on a map of Annandale-on-Hudson, NY (where  Bard is located).  This piece is part of Local Life, a series  interpreting people and landmarks in and around my town (Red Hook).  Many pieces from this series are on display at Taste Budd's Cafe until October 31.  If you're in the area, I hope you'll take a peek!

Bard College

Here's a drawing of the International Studies building on the campus of Bard College. The school is located on the shoreline of the Hudson River. I drew this piece directly on a map of the area. It's included in an exhibit of locally themed drawings on display at Taste Budd's Cafe in Red Hook. If you live locally, please stop in and take a peek!

Blythewood Fountain

Here's a new drawing of a fountain, which sits in the gardens at Bard College. It will be included in an upcoming exhibit of local drawings which will be on display at Taste Budd's Cafe in Red Hook. I'll be posting more about this soon.

Literary Landscape Logo

Recently, my daughter and I attended a Rosanne Cash concert at the Bard College Spiegeltent.  Her excellent performance was a benefit for the Red Hook Education Foundation (RHEF). Upon arriving at this event, I was surprised to find the logo I created for this organization emblazoned on a stage banner. It was a thrill to see my work displayed in this intimate setting.

The goal of RHEF is to support our local school system in ways that a typical budget may fall short of. One volunteer, Julia Crowley, remembered a logo I created in 1999, for a charter school we attempted to start in conjunction with Bard College. She asked me to update it to represent aspects of education they focus on; science, agriculture, arts, etc. Red Hook is nestled along the Hudson river, so I incorporated a stretch of water into the drawing. It was fun to give new life to an older image.

The original Bard Charter School logo I created in 1999.

You can learn more about RHEF at http://redhookeducationfoundation.com/

Thanks to Andy Wainwright, who's photo captured the singer and her guitarist-husband so beautifully. You can see more of Andy's work at http://www.andywainwright.com/

Rosanne Cash is well worth seeing in concert. She has a world-class voice, and really engages the audience with her warmth and wit. Along with songs from her catalog, she also covered Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and sang a few beautiful renditions of her father's classics.